There are over 2 million small businesses in Australia, employing over 7 million people. That’s over 60% of our workforce. Yet, for too many years, small business here has been overtaxed, over regulated and overlooked by government.

In the lead-up to the Federal election, CCIQ has helped develop a national campaign designed to unite the many small voices of small business all around the country, and to show politicians that, together, small business is too big to ignore.

If just a fraction of the people who are members of a chamber of commerce or who operate and work for small businesses get behind this campaign, we know we can make Canberra sit up and listen. But we need to muster as many voices as we can, and we need your help to do it.

As President of a chamber of commerce, you have the opportunity to mobilize your members and help them become part of a movement to change politician’s attitudes to small and medium businesses in Queensland and across Australia. I would ask that you get involved, support this campaign and make sure that the voice of Queensland’s business community is too big to ignore as we head towards polling day.

Help get more voices on board by sharing the website link on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

Ensure your individual voice is also heard by adding your comments to the site – you can even upload an image or video to the site if you wish.

Ensure everyone knows that your small business is too big to ignore by downloading the Too Big Too Ignore campaign material and displaying it prominently in your workplace.

Here’s how you can help as president of a chamber:

Share the information and campaign details with you members.

Ask your members to get involved, show their support, help spread the word and grow the campaign.

Through this campaign we are actively seeking increased workplace productivity through increased skills development, participation, cost relief and changes to fair work laws; tax and finance reform through reduced government intervention and re-allocation of spending priorities; and an easing of the onerous red-tape burden through lower compliance costs, fewer new laws and better quality regulation.

In Queensland we also want commitment to be made to improve the state’s infrastructure including funding the upgrading of the Bruce Highway and a construction of a second Toowoomba Range Crossing.

The small business sector is crucial to the health and wellbeing of the Australian economy. Through this campaign we are campaigning for change, not a change of government, but for positive change from all sides of politics; we want a commitment to take the needs of small business seriously and to actively work to help, not hinder, the small business community.

I would strongly encourage you and your chamber to participate in the ‘Too Big to Ignore’ campaign and help make sure that in September there are policies on offer from all parties that will help drive small business success and Australia’s economy. If you get involved the campaign will be too big to ignore, politicians will make decisions to help business and the benefits to business owners, employees and our communities will be significant.

This is a once every 4 year opportunity. An opportunity to make sure that businesses needs are met by the next federal government. Please add your voice and that of your members to the movement and make sure our voices become a groundswell for change, showing the power influence, relevance and credibility of Queensland’s chamber of commerce movement.

The Too Big To Ignore campaign is a big goal, a big idea, and a big undertaking. But nothing a small businessperson like you can’t handle!